Island Avenue Elementary School

Amazing professional faculty and staff. Special reading programs are phenomenal (Ms. Shirley is a gem!). The class sizes are great considering every class we've been in has had a teacher and teacher aide so the ratio is like 11/1.. Compared to my family and friend's schools Island Avenue is top notch! And yes, the art teach is loved! I'm sorry the former teacher from lower Fairfield County has had just the opposite experience from us... maybe the perspective is skewed, it might be difficult for any district to compete with lower Fairfield County.
--Submitted by a parent

After teaching for 12 years in lower faifield county, and expecting the Madison School System to be wonderful, we've found quite the opposite. Island Ave. could be a progressive elementary school for they have the most wonderful families. The town does the most with the least. The schools are not well funded unless it is for football, forget supporting and enriching the teaching staff with workshops, information on technology (nonexistent in this system) new trends in teaching. It is like walking back in to 1965. The school system is a dissappointment. If your child needs reading help, they won't agreeably identify needs. They avoid taking care of the child's educational needs.As a homogenous group, if the test scores are good, they leave well enough alone. I don't think the next great thinker will be coming out of this school system.
--Submitted by a parent

Teachers are great, but class sizes are quite large and there is little support for classroom teachers (no literacy coach, no behavior specialist, no shared planning space) Special Education is relegated to the back of the library in an 'open classroom' setup - distracting for kids. Lunches are hit or miss in terms of quality (e.g. some days kids receive 'breakfast for lunch' or corn dogs). Excellent PTO sponsored events and activities: the PTO makes this place special! Excellent gym teachers - warm, inviting, energetic and creative. The Art teacher is amazing - kids of all ages love this guy!
--Submitted by a parent

Strong staff. Nice facility.
--Submitted by a parent